The weather of the week before Easter has left many of us Wisconsinites confused as to what season this really is. However, in retrospect, it is common to get snow in April, but perhaps we are used to it melting within a couple of hours, and not having a cold and wet full week of mix.
Again, I say, we are made of sterner stuff than this, and instead of looking at the downside of the snow, I looked outside and saw the beauty of God’s creation.
I can’t ever remember snow hanging on trees, and everything else, for as long as Monday’s snow did. I admit, I was even a little excited. As the winter passed, I never felt the urge to pick up my camera, go outside and shoot winter photos. April 14 gave me that chance.
Once I got outside, I noticed that my white birch tree was flattened by the heavy mixture of ice and snow. This tree was planted nine years ago, after I moved here. It has survived wind, drought, sun, cold and, yes, heavy snow and ice, but that day I was worried that it might not be able to recover.
That prompted me to get a broom and shake the branches in the effort to remove the snow. It helped some, as the branches seemed to come up a little, but it was far from standing tall, as before. I kept at it, until I got a handful of snow down my neck. That cold fistful of snow made me think that the tree was on its own. Let it bounce back or not, I’ve done my part.
It looked a lot better later in the day, and my hopes are high that no lasting damage was done.
It wasn’t long after that I noticed the birds. That birch tree was filled with robins and chick-a-dees. They didn’t seem to mind the wetness of the tree. They seemed to be finding things to eat, and others were simply enjoying a place to perch out of the deeper snow on the ground.
No softball today, I thought, as Tigerton High School had one on the schedule, but I felt certain that it would be cancelled. I enjoyed my granddaughter’s first softball game of her high school career last Thursday night. But, due to weather, games are often postponed.
Meanwhile, the rest of the days have been spent enjoying the scenes, of creeks and rivers overflowing their banks and yet rimmed with white snow. While I am ready to see the end of the snow, I do enjoy the changing vistas in this beautiful state.
Life does go on, and each day seems to bring new and challenging events into our lives. So often we try to avoid challenges, but they come anyway. Once they are here, it is up to us how to cope with them. Do we fight against it? Do we accept it, and try to learn from it? I am not any different than most people. I would like a life of pleasant days and happy endings.
Life should be full of happy endings, just like in the fairy tales. However, that is not reality.
This week is known as Holy Week, a time to reflect on our faith and Christ’s resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:55 says: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
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